Vietnam develops plan to streamline breeding farms

VIETNAM - is mapping out a master plan to govern practices on breeding farms, to be completed by 2008, in an effort to upgrade output and product quality, agricultural officials said at a meeting Tuesday.

A new look for Vietnamese breeding farms

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan said upgrading breeding farms would help apply modern technology, implement disease control and minimize environmental impact.

According to a report delivered at the meeting by the Animal Husbandry Department, Vietnam has 17,721 breeding farms, 15,960 more compared to the figure in 2001. The sharp increase has prompted the government to revamp guidelines and control measures to ensure product quality and consistency.

Farm operators complain loan access is difficult, and that 55 percent of operating capital comes out of their own pockets, while only 30 percent is from loans.

With farm outputs being unstable and susceptible to natural disaster, banks tend to overlook loans to farm operators, participants at the meeting said.

The result is that farms develop spontaneously on a small scale, with little control over product quality or hygienic standards, they said.